


See the Light

by StrangerDanger



Series: Prompts [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt Merlin, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Protective Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 20:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangerDanger/pseuds/StrangerDanger
Summary: An armed burglar sneaks into a house. Upon gaining entry to a heavily secured room he presumes to be full of untold riches, he finds a teenager, trussed up in a makeshift call instead. Seeing the weapon the teenager begs: ‘Please…Just kill me.’ The burglar is stunned for a moment but the curious, putting his task aside, he helps the teen escape…  Write what happens next.-Prompt off Pinterest





	See the Light

Finally, it was his chance. Pulling the mask low over his face he hiked his bag over his shoulder and made his way toward the target. He had been planning this heist for weeks; mapping the layout, tracking the owner’s schedule, measuring out the various security measures and how to pass them as quickly and sufficiently as possible. He had intel on a room within the manor that held indescribably treasures and Arthur was going to commandeer them.

Getting into the manor wasn’t a challenge. He made his way through the various halls that led to the large locked door dispatching guards as he went. The door was guarded using the most advanced security measures. Arthur had spent hours learning how to crack them, quickly and efficiently. With a click of the lock, Arthur let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. This was the moment. All his hard work was about to pay off with whatever lay just beyond this door. Steeling himself, he forces the door open.

The room was plain, no riches anywhere in sight. The only thing housed in the room was a teenage boy, not much younger than Arthur himself who was twenty three. The boy was trussed up in a makeshift cell his clothing torn and dirty. Arthur approached the cowering figure slowly, drawing the boys gaze to him when he stopped just before his cell. The boy’s ocean blue eyes looked Arthur over before landing on the gun still gripped in his hand. The raven haired youth lifted their gaze back to Arthur begging, “Please…just kill me”, his eyes shining with what looked like hope.

Arthur was stunned for a moment. Gathering his wits he tucked the gun away, the glimmer of hope disappeared from the crystalline eyes and was replaced with dull acceptance as he hung his head in defeat. Arthur shook himself out of the daze brought on by those blue orbs. Looking the room over he noticed key hanging by the door he had entered through, how cruel to leave the means of escape within the captive’s sight. Arthur grabbed the keys and made to unlock the door, noticing the way the boy flinched at the sound of the hinges giving way. As Arthur entered the cell, the boy stiffened for a moment before heaving out a sigh and relaxing.

“Master must have sent you, how would you like me?” the boy asked.

“What?” Arthur looked the boy in confusion.

The boy kept his head down as he turned himself around rest his head on the ground, his bare backside up in the air exposed for Arthur. The wrists chained behind the boys back not allowing for them to support the lithe body of their owner.

No. Arthur could not believe what he was seeing, the poor boy believed that Arthur was going to rape him. With haste he pulled off the coat he was wearing and covered the boy with it.

“I am not going to hurt you. Whoever hurt you will never lay a hand on you again, I promise you.” Arthur swore as he fiddled with the chains keeping the boy in place. As the shackles dropped he held his hand out to the boy in hopes of gaining his trust. 

“Come on I’ve got you.” Arthur told him as he realized that the boy didn’t have the strength to support his own frail frame. The man who had held him captured not only abused his body, but clearly starved the poor boy. Arthur made an oath to himself as he lifted the boy into his arms; he would kill the man that did this.

\-----

Arthur had brought the beautiful broken boy to his own apartment. The poor boy had passed out sometime during the journey, only for Arthur to realize that the boy was not well, he was plagued with a fever most likely brought on by the terrible conditions he had been forced to live in. Arthur carried the boy to his room, stripping him of the rags he had on before dressing him in a pair of old joggers and a long sleeve, tucking him in as he went to fetch some medicines. 

Arthur was in over his head no matter how much medication, water and food he got into the raven haired youth, he couldn’t get him to wake. By the third day, Arthur decided that if he wanted the boy to survive he would have to get him some help. Arthur made a quick phone call and before long Gwen was at his door her medical back in hand. 

“Thank you Gwenevere. I’ll explain everything, but please just help him first.” Arthur begged as he led her to his room.

Gwen took one look at the boy in the bed, then looked at Arthur, shooting him a look that said ‘you so owe me an explanation for this!’ before placing the bag beside the bed and getting to work. Over six hours later and Merlin’s temperature was finally back to a normal range. Arthur was sitting at his bedside holding his delicate and pale hand as Gwen packed away her belongings and let herself out.

Arthur was there when Merlin began to stir. It started with a flicker of his eyelids, then a flicker of his fingers. Arthur knew when he was conscious as his whole body suddenly went rigged, his breathing becoming rapid, yet shallow. He was terrified. The boy had yet to open his eyes, but he feared the worst.

Arthur gave the fingers in his grasp a gentle squeeze before speaking up to try and reassure the boy in his bed.

“You’re safe. Please, open your eyes.”

The boy squeezed his eyes tighter, before the blue orbs flickered open meeting blue. 

“Kill me.” The boy whispered “Please.”

“I’m not going to kill you. You’re safe, I promise. My name is Arthur.” Arthur told the boy, gesturing to himself. “What’s yours?”

”M-Merlin.”

“Well Merlin, I would like it if you would rest. Is there anything you would like, food, water?”

“May I have some water, please.”

Arthur grabbed the glass that he had set on the bedside table. With great care he pulled Merlin up enough to allow him to drink without choking. Once he had his fill Arthur settled him into the bed, tucking him in.

Within a few days Merlin had enough strength to get out of bed on his own and make his way around the flat. Within a few weeks he stopped flinching whenever Arthur approached. There were less apologies and more back talk. Merlin was growing into himself more and more every day. Arthur was doing everything in his power to make him feel safe, and that meant eliminating the man that had hurt him in the first place.

Three months. It took three months for Arthur to get a chance to take down his target. He ambushed the man on his way back from a known human trafficking ring. Pinning him to the alley wall, knife to his throat.

“This is for Merlin.” Arthur whispered in his ear, close enough to see the slight tremor that shook the vile man. ‘Arthur slipped the slim blade between his ribs and watched the shock slowly fade along from the man’s eyes as his life slipped through his fingers. Releasing the hold he had on the man, he turned on his heels as the body dropped behind him. With slow deliberate footsteps Arthur made his way back to his Merlin.


End file.
